killjoy
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of killjoy
First recorded in 1770–80
Explanation
A killjoy is a person who spoils all the fun for everybody. You may be a killjoy if everyone’s enjoying their meal at a restaurant and you complain constantly about the terrible service. The first instance of the word killjoy was recorded in 1776, and its meaning kind of makes sense: a killjoy kills everyone else's joy. There are some other great old-style slang phrases to describe the person who pops your balloon or rains on your parade. The most popular among them are "party pooper," "wet blanket," and "stick in the mud."
Vocabulary lists containing killjoy
The Last Last-Day-of-Summer
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Clean Getaway
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Merci Suárez Changes Gears
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Telling a Jambo to calm down as their team strides into an eight-point lead at the top of the table is to be the worst kind of killjoy.
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025
The Civil War, which is jeopardizing his presidency, has turned him into an utter killjoy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2025
But travelers — and I’m sorry to be a killjoy — should beware: Those seemingly cheap plane tickets or hotel rooms advertised online may be a trap to make you spend more than anticipated.
From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2023
“It’s not especially that I wanted to be a killjoy, although that comes into it as well,” he adds, smiling.
From Scientific American • Nov. 23, 2022
I knew better than to not call my grandmother but I was tired of being a killjoy, and my sisters and I were back in step with one another.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
